The hometown of Mahatma Gandhi

This image is intentionally of my breakfast than of a cityscape or a building in my hometown. Oh, before we go any further, my hometown is Ahmedabad, India - the largest city in the state of Gujarat! It is the where Mahatma Gandhi, fondly called as Bapu (Father of the Nation), led he nonviolence protest and Narendra Modi, our current Prime Minister of India, one of of the most influential politicians.

Coming back to the main photograph, I am going to share tidbits of my hometown through what I love the most - FOOD! The foodie inside me cannot wait to share what makes this town so unique by drawing parallels with the day-to-day life in this mega city.

As I sit and write this from a mere 8000 miles away being in Canada, the first thing that comes to my mind is the breakfast I would get back home. There will always be the quintessential masala chai (I take two cups as you can see - being a chai lover) along with a hot snack to accompany. My mom makes sure I get to eat my favourite items each morning hot and fresh immaterial of how tired she would have gone to bed the previous night.

This points to the beautiful aspect of Amdavadis (the people of my town) - Warmth and Unconditional Love! No matter how exhausted or overworked one might be, they always go above & beyond to show their love for people every single day.

Next up, as I head out for a morning stroll in the neighbourhood post my breakfast, I make it a point to stop at these road side stalls. There are thousands of road side "addas" (food joints) in my city where you could get staple delicacies to a fusion twist on international cuisine.

This points to the sheer diversity my town has. People from all over India (1.3+ Billion strong) have come and settled in Ahmedabad over the years and bring a piece of their origins with them. You will Experience Something New with each roadside stall you explore and learn a different aspect of a culture or language within India.

After I have had a heavy lunch followed by an afternoon nap, it is time for meeting friends in the evening. This photo is of a roadside stall again which serves the cutting chai (a masala chai portion worth a few sips) and piping hot samosas. Are you though looking at that big bowl of spicy hot green chillies?

This points to GETTING THE HEAT, both literally and figuratively. Literally since the temperature in the summer can soar to a whopping 115 Farenheit (47 Celcius) on a pretty routine basis. This makes for Ahmedabad being one of the hottest places in Asia. Figuratively because you should always be prepared for some radical candor here during any conversation or chit-chat. People here keep you honest, speak their minds and discussions could lead to spicy debates, all in good spirit (or maybe not!?)

One of the most common event of my week would be attending a social gathering or celebrating a festival/ occasion in my hometown. With the amount of celebrations we have and the number of folks attending, Food is always a big affair. This photo is of an Indian Sweet called Gulab Jamun (fried dough balls soaked in sugar syrup) which are being prepared for an engagement feast.

Ahmedabad already is close to 10Million population strong as per the latest statistics. My own wedding saw over 2500+ guests over 5 days attending various ceremonies and had a MEGA culinary showcase.

This points to a SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND HARMONY. No matter how tired you are at the end of day, how bad your mood is, may be you have a love-hate relationship with someone, you will see folks showing up to any occasion with a smile on their face and support you through thick and thin. You can count on someone from your family and friend circle and neighbours to show up at your doorstep in less than 15 minutes and are actually a phone call away 24*7. Amadavadis are good at heart and always helpful. Ahmedabad has a close to 90% literacy rate and the lowest crime in the country for top 30+ cities with a population of 1million+.

Most of our weekend in my hometown is spent socializing with friends and family. This photo of a Chocolate FreakShake (as it is called in the cafe menu) was taken on a Sunday chilling out with friends.

This points out to GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND! Everything in this city may seem extra!!! You can explore the best of art, craft and heritage the city has to offer all year round and not get bored. You can go to the old town and roam through the many markets to find plethora of goods at your disposal. You can be overwhelmed easily by the traffic that occurs in this ever growing city. You can eat at every single food joint in the city all year round and still might have scratched the tip of the iceberg. You can attend a social gathering almost every night of the week if you wanted to. More importantly, going above and beyond is in people's nature here. It can seem freaky as though someone is poking in your private affairs but such is life here. We share, care and learn together!

The photo above is of a meetha paan (beetel leaf) from a galla (local paan shop) in my area. Once you taste this, I guarantee that you will have an explosion of flavours like never before with the amount of condiments that goes in this one. It is meant to be a refresher and pretty common to have in my city at night. Also, this gives the chance to have one more late night chit-chat or roadside conversation to discuss on World affairs (Yes! We talk about everything that goes on in the ENTIRE WORLD every night and pretty seriously as well)

This points to FINDING CALM IN THE CHAOS. The city life, perseverance and the challenges it presents can certainly take a toll on you. At the end of the day, everyone needs to reflect and reset. The late night paan shops or coffee spots or roadside chai kitlis give the perfect opportunity to unwind and take in the hustle and bustle amidst the city lights. Ahmedabad is becoming bigger, better and more diverse as we speak so taking a moment to pause, take a breather and observe + enjoy everything changing around you is key.

-------

I am going to pause here since there are many more parallels I can draw with the culinary scene and life in my city. I hope this gets you as EXCITED as me to visit Ahmedabad!! While I was thinking on whether to showcase my city through its vibrant skyline or the wonderful people, Humans of Ahmedabad, I choose to showcase it through something which is dear to me and everyone in this city - the culture of eats and greets!

All these photos have been taken by me and I have thousands more to showcase the city in all its glory - whether it is through its food or various experiences. THANK YOU for reading!